Laminated beam for hay stackers



Jan. 8, 1946. G, D. MooDY LAMINATED BEAM' FOR HAY STACKERS Filed July 3, 1944 l Q' a s #Waff/Vix Patented Jan. 8, 1946 UNITEDv STATES PATENT OFFICE;

LAMINATED BEAM FOR HAY STACKERS George D. Moody, Portland, Oreg. Application July 3, 1944, Serial No. 543,362

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to hay making machinery and particularly to a laminated beam for hay stackers.

The main object of this invention is to provide an improved Vform of beam for hay stackers in which a rockable beam is pivotally mounted on a mast and provided with a hay fork at one end and an actuating line at the other end.

The second object is to provide a beam of the class described'in which the beam is preformed throughout its entire length and laminated in order that the entire structure may be placed in.

tension before it is subjected to loading.

The third object is to utilize random lengths of lumber which are laminated into curved form by means of a waterproof glue and in which defects can be eliminated, thereby insuring a beam of uniform and reliable strength I accomplish these and other objects in a manner set forth in the accompanying speciiication as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the complete beam.

Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the beam with the cross braces removed for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 4 is .an enlarged fragmentary view taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 4. l

Similar .numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Before entering into an explanation of this invention, it will be understood that beams resembling in appearance the one illustrated in this drawing have long been in use. Such beams have all been made of two sections joined at the fulcrum point and having the ends supported by cables androds, whose tension is limited to the Weight of the beams when empty or to the weight of the beams and load when loaded.

Such beams are inherently weak at the fulcrum point where they are subjected to severe reaction strains at the moment of unloading the hay fork, and to terriiiic strains ifthe operating line should break or the load has been too quickly released, causing a sharp rebound ofthe unloaded beam.

With the beam I am about to describe, a highly g detail in this application, other than to say that a hay fork is mounted on the forked ends of the frame, the tines of which are commonly eight feet long and cover a beam of twelve feet in width. This fork may be dumped or reset from the ground at the foot of the mast upon which this beam is pivotally mounted. A block and tackle attached to the end of the A-frame is used to pull it down and of course raise the fork after the fork is loaded.

The fork is commonly loaded by bucking the hay onto the fork after which it is raised and the entire beam swung around on its pivot to a point above the stack upon which it is to be dropped. Stability is provided to the beam by curving its ends downwardly so that a line passing through the center of gravity of the load and to the point of application of the power would pass below the pivot point of the beam.

Referring in detail to the drawing, there is shown a pair of curved beams I0, which are 4united at one end I I and spaced approximately eight feet apart at the other end, the entire beam I0 being in the neighborhood of thirty two feet.

The individual beams I0 are preformed of a plurality of laminations I2, preferably in the form of a curve formed by bending the end over an intermediate fulcrum point. The laminations I2 are glued and the bending is performed before the glue is set. At the point Il is provided the angle plates I3, which are secured to the beams I0 by the bolts I4. An eye bolt I5 extends through the plates I3, and its eye I6 is employed to fasten the tackle blocks of the operating mechanism (not shown).

The opposite end Il of each beam part I0 is preferably reversely curved as illustrated, and is provided with a strap metal shoe I8 which terminates in an eye I 9 adapted to receive an elongated pipe 20 which serves as a hinge for the hay fork (not shown). The shoe I 8 is secured tothe end I1 by means of the bolts 2|. Cross braces 22 and 23 are secured transversely across the frame parts Ill, which are further reinforced by the diagonal braces 24.

At an intermediate point, which in common practice is approximately eighteen feet from the end I1 and fourteen feet from the end II,l are secured the angular brackets 25, whose sides 26 are secured to the beam part I0 by means of the bolts 2l. From the angle plate f 25 depends a standard 28, whose end 29 is rounded to fit into the recess 30 formed between the standards 3l on the plate 32 which, in turn, is secured by means of the bolts 33 to the bolster 34 which is adapted to rotate on the vertical pivot 35,

Each plate 25 extends inwardly from the inner side of the beam part ln to form a footing 36 for the truss member 31. The two truss qternbers 31 are inclined and united at their upper' end by means of va bolt 38. A hole 39 is formed through the upper end of the trussrv members 31 to receive the rod 40, whose lower end is attached [to the eye bolt IB and whose upper end, which passes through the truss member 31,v is provided p' lwith an"V eyed] lto which the two/cables or rods gt 42 are secured, and'rom which they extend to the end l1 of each beam part Illand are made fast to the ends I'I by means of the bolts 42A,`

or in any other manner. Y K y y It is desirable to provide turn buckles 43 in the rods 42 in order that the tension may be properly balanced andV distributed throughout the device;

In some cases the plates 25 may have the foot'- ings 3B inclined as shown in Fig. 4, in which event itis-desirable to forma double wedge 44 of .hard Wood whosetop acef45 becomes the support for the. beam ID the trusses '3 1. 1

` While I have 'thus illustrated and. described my K invention, 'itis not my desire to be limited to the .precise-'form 'shown herein, 'and I intend to cover top of same to the opposite ends of the beam parts.

' 12. Alamin'ated beam part for hay stackers, 15,

consisting of an arcuate member-composed of a. plurality of superimposed laminations glued into av s-irlglebeam ,part extending the ruil length of the completed beam and upwardly curved at the intermediate portion thereof, and an A-truss `frame disposed at the ,high `point -of Asaid beam frames, together with brace `rods extending :trom the top of said truss to the opposite ends ci the b'eamcparts. i Y c v Y spontaan, Moon* 

